becks need your help

[mrs h]

Hi becks im sure i read one of your posts saying you were training to be a midwife.
Could you please let us know where you studying, how long for and do you get grants and things for this type of course.
I have tried looking on the internet but it seems there are loads of different ways to get into it.
Any help wopuld be appreciated

 

[Becksss]

no no i'm not yet
i have 2 different college interviews in august
to start sept I may have to redo some gcses 1st off i want to do the best i can

But for be being on benefits atm the goverment really want us to work lol as do i so theres lots of incentives 23 get us 2 do college stuff
im just gonna discuss my options at the interviews

But your job centre should be able to advise you also

 

[Charlotte & Emily]

i researched into studying midwifery...

its a 3 year course
you dont get a grant as its a degree but you dont have to pay to study it in uni
but its very hard to get onto

its easier to do adult nursing which is a 3 year course
you get a grant (i think its £5000 a year) only if you do the diploma, not the degree
its still hard to get onto but easier than midwifery

then do a short course in midwifery which takes a year

hope this helps

 

[mrs h]

thanks guys, also this may sound like a dumb question but if a course is hard to get on to if i have 3 a level passes
Law B
Sociology C
Psychology C but i am now 27 will my age go against me?

 

[Charlotte & Emily]

they are had to get onto because of how many people want to apply
your a levels will make you a better candidate

and actually your age with work FOR you
they dont like taking on young people as they usuaully drop out
so the older, the better

 

[kirlykird]

hey!

I start uni in Sept to do a nursing course for 3 years and then 1 year of midwifery to follow.

I'm doing the long route as I want to be a qulaified nurse & midwife

You can just go straight tinto midwifery though...

The uni that I applied to needed 3 A levels above C's.

I'm going in as a mature student as I'm now 28 & been a while since I've done college or uni but luckily I had the A levels, went for an intrview,did a written & maths test & got offered an unconditional place!

I am sooo excited

 

[Charlotte & Emily]

ooo congratulations

im going to do mental health nursing when emily starts school

 

[kirlykird]

I went for adult nursing,nervous but excited too

Mental health nursing sounds great too

 

[mrs h]

kirlykird how did you apply to your uni is it still through ucas? god im so out of touch with these things

 

[little*red]

you dont get a grant as its a degree but you

I was starting a midwifery course in september but ive decided to defer for a few years until ive had children and they are a couple of years old.

I wasnt allowed to get a student loan but i got a bursary which i didnt have to pay back. It was about £8000 a year i think but that was because im married and have 1 child. the basic was about £5000 and then you get extra for your partner, children, special needs etc.

Also i applied through a place called CATCH.

However i am from scotland so maybe these things only apply to scottish universitys and applicants, because we dont pay uni fees and stuff.

 

[kirlykird]

hey MrsH

You apply through nmas which is the nursing & midwifery branch of ucas.

http://www.nmas.ac.uk/

I decided to do it now as I'm 28, sahm at present but I know that I would have to go back to work eventually.

Anders & myself spoke about it & as he said I'm entitled to a career and realistcally,this is my last chance!

I know if i start working again,we would get used to a second income I wouldn't be able to do it then

we're at an ok level at the mo so this is the time!

I will get a non means tested bursary of around £400 per month.

You can apply for dependant increases & childcare but this is means tested

 

[kirlykird]

Also forgot to say that your fees are funded by NHS too

 

[Alicebabe]

I qualified as an adult nurse last year so can also advise if anyone needs help.

Would just like to say in my experience, being a qualified nurse does not automatically mean you can get straight onto a midwifery course. This would be a difficult route to go about it as there are no guarantees at the end of your nurse training that you could get onto the midwifery course. You would still have to apply in all the normal ways through NMAS.

You age and the fact that you already have children is a definite bonus for you as they like people with life experience and people with experience of pregnancy and childcare - hence you can empathise with the women you will be caring for.

As for qualifications, they sound fine. I only had 6 GCSEs but relevant care experience which will also help you. If you have been out of study for a while, an access course at evening school is often a good thing to do first which most universitys would advise. They often like to see recent evidence of study.

Its a hard course to get onto because there are so many applicants and very limited places. Also, be warned, its a hard course with unfriendly shifts on placements, nights, earlys, lates and weekends with lots of essays and exams. Make sure you know what you are letting yourself in for - in my experience, they have no sympathy child-care wise!

Good luck!